Country of the World Romania

About the country Romania, its location, size, population, leaders and rulers.

NATIONS AND THEIR RULERS

ROMANIA

NITTY-GRITTY

Lay of the Land: Located in southeastern Europe, with the Danube forming its southern border, Romania is 31% mountains, 36% hills and plateaus, and 33% plains and floodlands. The temperate climate favors a profuse vegetation, and forests abound.

Size: 91,699 sq. mi. (237,500 sq. km.).

Population: 21.7 million.

Who Rules: Romania has been part of the Communist bloc since 1947, when the 66-year-old monarchy was abolished and the new Socialist state proclaimed. Nicolae Ceausescu has served as chief of the "independent, unitary, and sovereign Socialist state" since 1965, presiding over the Grand National Assembly. Between sessions of the GNA, state power is exerted by the State Council, the actual center of permanent power. Domestic and foreign policies, state plans, and budgets are overseen by the Council of Ministers, which also supervises the activities of the local People's Councils.

Who REALLY Rules: Participation in all strata of government is limited to members of the Romanian Communist party. Despite strong attempts by the Soviets to boss Romania around (Russian agents are scattered throughout the country), Ceausescu and his men perform a neat balancing act--tweaking the noses of those in the Kremlin as they run their independent state.

A massive coal miners' strike in late 1977 reminded observers that economic stability has not been established.